Joshinator
Christian Gamers Alliance TeamSpeak 3 Server Opera
Discuss and vote 
Dedicated server: Rental or buy with colocation?
- Thread starter Joshinator
- Start date
Keero
Tribe of Judah Membership Administrator
What's the difference again? 
Rent: We rent a dedicated server. We have limited control, but less risk. This scenario would be less expensive up front, but possibly (and probably) more expensive over time. It's the safer of the two options.What's the difference again?
Buy with colocation: We select a colocation provider, purchase a rackmount server, and have it shipped to and installed at the selected datacenter. We have total control of the box, but more risk. Most (if not all) rackmount server vendors include a warranty on rackmount servers for a given period, but time between hardware failure and repair may leave our servers offline. This scenario would be more expensive up front, but very likely less expensive in the long run--provided our server hardware lasts us a reasonable length of time. It's the riskier of the two options, but may allow greater growth in the long-term.
There's no clear right or wrong answer as there are too many unknown variables and "what if"s. All we can do is take the information provided, educate ourselves on the options, pray about the choice, and make a decision. Once it's made, we make our best efforts at properly maintaining whatever server we select.
janc
New Member
I tend to lean towards the rent option because of the maintenance/replacement issue. Over time it may be more expensive, but if there is ever a hardware failure and we own the server, then the server will be unavailable until ToJ can replace it.
If we're paying a monthly fee for a dedicated server and there is hardware failure then (depending on the terms of service) the host is responsible for restoring the server.
If we're paying a monthly fee for a dedicated server and there is hardware failure then (depending on the terms of service) the host is responsible for restoring the server.
Hescominsoon
CGA\TOJ Hosting Manager
Unless you get an ironclad SLA you'll get best effort..which means hours or days or longer. With an owned mahcine you cane asily purchase a 4hr response...then you know you'll be up and running quickly..
/bump
silverleaf
New Member
Though I don't play those games, I voted rent because 1-its cheaper as no hardware costs and less running cost 2-better because whoevers running it will be experienced in running it as they do it for a living. My 'clan' (technically mine since I'm the only one using it) gHost bot server for wc3 only costs me $5 a month and thats with support (plain server is $2). WAYYY better than buying one myself.
Of course, downside is that if you want a lot of bandwidth its going to cost you. So if you think you are going to sub-let that server (rent it out) then it may be worth buying.
Costwise, renting is obviously better, both short and long term, if it is just a CS server or something. Unless you need the whole server, why leave the majority of it unused? Not sure how many you need, but its not like you're hosting 100 game servers all at the same time right? Unless you are hosting 100 gHost servers (something I dream of doing) then yeah its better to buy.
The monthly internet fee required will already cost about the same as renting a good server + internets. I'm paying around 50 bucks (converted) for a crappy 20mbit down, 1mbit up line. Could get 10 gHost servers for that. No usage caps, 1000mbit up and down.
As for the server hosting inappropriate content (saw your other thread), well what does it matter to us? Our section of it is clean. What does it matter how far away physically the content you don't want is? The 'inapproperate content', as far as the internet is concerned, takes maybe 0.0000001ms longer to load than if it was hosted right in the same room. However for some of us who don't see it that way and count actual distances, then the only option would be to buy your own server. On the same less than 100cm thick fibre optic cable, there is lots of... stuff I don't agree with floating around, and I'm not going to build my own internets just to avoid sharing it with those other religions/cults.
Of course, downside is that if you want a lot of bandwidth its going to cost you. So if you think you are going to sub-let that server (rent it out) then it may be worth buying.
Costwise, renting is obviously better, both short and long term, if it is just a CS server or something. Unless you need the whole server, why leave the majority of it unused? Not sure how many you need, but its not like you're hosting 100 game servers all at the same time right? Unless you are hosting 100 gHost servers (something I dream of doing) then yeah its better to buy.
The monthly internet fee required will already cost about the same as renting a good server + internets. I'm paying around 50 bucks (converted) for a crappy 20mbit down, 1mbit up line. Could get 10 gHost servers for that. No usage caps, 1000mbit up and down.
As for the server hosting inappropriate content (saw your other thread), well what does it matter to us? Our section of it is clean. What does it matter how far away physically the content you don't want is? The 'inapproperate content', as far as the internet is concerned, takes maybe 0.0000001ms longer to load than if it was hosted right in the same room. However for some of us who don't see it that way and count actual distances, then the only option would be to buy your own server. On the same less than 100cm thick fibre optic cable, there is lots of... stuff I don't agree with floating around, and I'm not going to build my own internets just to avoid sharing it with those other religions/cults.
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cc.slim
Moderator
I voted rent. Life is crazy and things change and only one thing ever remains the same. Aw well I don't play alot of games but can say God has his ways! What do you really want? The gospel has exploded via internet and wOOt in games for I have seen scriptures and Jesus pass by! Proud oh shoot yah! Like a smile in a freebie candy store! I started gaming and never seen the word Jesus and found TOJ lol yeah I knew the jew in you would insue but the depths rang differently! Whom has the most reach in what game? Lol I know this has nothing to do with rent hehehe tho I think rent is less time to admin is more time to witness!
It matters to us because we don't want to financially support a company that derives any portions of its profits from hosting pornography. Porn destroys lives and we want to be customers of companies that understand that (or at least don't help spread porn).
Think of it as speaking our conscience with our wallets.
Back to the main topic: The more thought I give the subject, the more strongly I lean toward renting a dedicated server--not as a final solution, but as a bridge between renting individual game servers (like we're doing now) and owning our own server hardware and colocating.
silverleaf
New Member
Since I'm not the one paying, it's your choice. However just saying I wouldn't go all out of my way just to avoid a business that does anything for everyone. 7 eleven sells porn amongst a ton of other things, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. However if it was a porno joint selling candy bars, I'd get my candy bars somewhere else. Don't know what your issue with porn is, you seem to have strong feelings. Maybe you are actually married. If I ever get married I'd be pretty mad if my partner was lookin at porn. However for the 40 year old virgins in the world, I'd say go for it, so long as they don't fantasize about sleeping with person X and that it is a picture of their future wife. Heck, blur the face. Unnamed FTW, easier to work around there. It isn't ideal, but some people don't have the slightest chance of getting married So they arn't technically fantasizing about sleeping with 1000 women. Just one. Which will probably never happen for them. I'm not going to discuss such an inflammatory and controversal topic, so it's just my view, lets agree to disagree. Isn't adultery if its one unmarried women, whether she exists or not (preferably does not exist)
//backontopic
Unless of course you can find some server that just hosts games, that would be great, because they would have experience in this field. Latency isn't so much an issue for porno and general stuff, they just want volume. What we need is a high speed connection across the globe.
So they arn't technically fantasizing about sleeping with 1000 women. Just one. Which will probably never happen for them. I'm not going to discuss such an inflammatory and controversal topic, so it's just my view, lets agree to disagree. Isn't adultery if its one unmarried women, whether she exists or not (preferably does not exist)//backontopic
Unless of course you can find some server that just hosts games, that would be great, because they would have experience in this field. Latency isn't so much an issue for porno and general stuff, they just want volume. What we need is a high speed connection across the globe.
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Rather than de-rail this topic, I've copied the quoted text along with two other abridged posts to a new thread entitled Selecting service providers that do not allow adult content.Since I'm not the one paying, it's your choice. However just saying I wouldn't go all out of my way just to avoid a business that does anything for everyone. 7 eleven sells porn amongst a ton of other things, I don't think there's anything wrong with that. However if it was a porno joint selling candy bars, I'd get my candy bars somewhere else. Don't know what your issue with porn is, you seem to have strong feelings. Maybe you are actually married. If I ever get married I'd be pretty mad if my partner was lookin at porn. However for the 40 year old virgins in the world, I'd say go for it, so long as they don't fantasize about sleeping with person X and that it is a picture of their future wife. Heck, blur the face. Unnamed FTW, easier to work around there. It isn't ideal, but some people don't have the slightest chance of getting married
The current poll results are nearly split evenly.
I'll continue to read responses on the subject, pray over our options, and review quotes from various service providers.
At this time, my strong leaning is to select a dedicated server hosting provider, call for additional monthly donations to cover the increased expense, rent a dedicated server for 6-12 months, and evaluate our financial situation at that time to decide whether or not we should continue to rent a dedicated server or purchase server hardware and select a colocation service provider.
I had been looking at renting or purchasing as an "either-or" choice rather than a "now and later" situation. I do not feel the release to spend $2000 of member-donated money to purchase server hardware at this time. The risk is simply too great.
If we rent a dedicated server and find that monthly donations are insufficient to cover the cost, we can always fall back to renting individual game servers with minimal loss.
If we purchase a server and find that we can't cover the monthly colocation expense, we would be forced to pull the physical server from a datacenter and store it in a safe location until a time when we could ship it to the same or a new datacenter and get it online again. While shelved, the server might become obsolete. There's also the matter of setup fees; we would need to pay a setup fee a second time if we were to temporarily pull a purchased server and set it up again at a later date.
Renting a dedicated server is the less risky way to go and would provide an opportunity for Tribe of Judah members to prove they are ready for the risks involved with purchasing and colocating server hardware. If it helps, think of it as a step between renting individual game servers and owning our own server.
I'll continue to read responses on the subject, pray over our options, and review quotes from various service providers.
At this time, my strong leaning is to select a dedicated server hosting provider, call for additional monthly donations to cover the increased expense, rent a dedicated server for 6-12 months, and evaluate our financial situation at that time to decide whether or not we should continue to rent a dedicated server or purchase server hardware and select a colocation service provider.
I had been looking at renting or purchasing as an "either-or" choice rather than a "now and later" situation. I do not feel the release to spend $2000 of member-donated money to purchase server hardware at this time. The risk is simply too great.
If we rent a dedicated server and find that monthly donations are insufficient to cover the cost, we can always fall back to renting individual game servers with minimal loss.
If we purchase a server and find that we can't cover the monthly colocation expense, we would be forced to pull the physical server from a datacenter and store it in a safe location until a time when we could ship it to the same or a new datacenter and get it online again. While shelved, the server might become obsolete. There's also the matter of setup fees; we would need to pay a setup fee a second time if we were to temporarily pull a purchased server and set it up again at a later date.
Renting a dedicated server is the less risky way to go and would provide an opportunity for Tribe of Judah members to prove they are ready for the risks involved with purchasing and colocating server hardware. If it helps, think of it as a step between renting individual game servers and owning our own server.
Whon
Tribe of Judah Left 4 Dead Chapter Leader
That's a good point that I haven't considered in my thoughts between the two, I agree that renting a dedicated server would be a good step before leaping off with the co-location and purchasing hardware.